Interested in becoming a life coach or already a certified life coach, and wondering how to choose a niche? Find Out Now! 

When it comes to building a successful coaching career, you might see a lot of conflicting advice on “niching down.”

Some people will tell you that you can only experience success by choosing one, very specific niche of clients. Others might suggest that choosing a niche means limiting the success you can have by limiting potential clients.

But the ultimate truth is this…

The clients you serve should reflect the types of people you feel called to work with and most passionate about helping.

And for most people, that means getting clear and specific about one or more life coaching niches.

In this post, you’ll learn how to find your coaching niche in 3, simple steps. Plus, discover the 4 key criteria I use to help ensure my clients and coaching business are as successful as possible.

What is a niche?

In a life coaching business, a niche is a defined group of people with their own unique needs and specific problems.

While the entire life coaching market is full of potential clients, your specific coaching niche represents your most ideal clients.

Your ideal client is the person most suited for the work you do in the way that you do it.

Their needs match up with the specific area of expertise, skills, and professional experience you offer.

For example, I’ve spent more than 40 years teaching transformational principles to clients, small groups, and on stage in front of thousands of people.

And it might look like I never restricted myself to serving just one particular niche of clientele.

Especially since I’ve coached moms, professors, heads of the United Nations, political leaders — all kinds of different people!

But, the people I’ve coached have a distinct common thread…

Each person has come to the realization that they desire more LIFE. 

So, how do you find the common thread among your ideal clients?

3 Steps to Find Your Coaching Niche

These 3 questions can guide you to your life coaching niche:

1. Who would you most love to work with?
2. What problems are you most qualified to solve? (I don’t just mean certifications or degrees)
3. What problems are people willing to pay to have solved?
   

1. Who would you most love to work with?

To answer this question, imagine your ideal coaching business.

If the life coaching business you’re imagining were both the fulfillment of your calling and allowed you to help people in a way you were most excited about… who would you be working with?

Get specific! Imagine the person you’re most passionate and excited to help:

• Who are they? 
• What problems are they experiencing? 
• What needs do they have? 
• What goals would they love to accomplish? 
• What is it about their background, belief system, or life that makes them the client you would love to work with most?
  

2. What problems are you most qualified to solve?

As you begin or refine your life coaching career, remember this: People don’t buy services- they buy solutions. They will be willing to invest in the transformation you offer, not the services you offer.

Consider your own experience: 

• What qualifications do you have to help the ideal client you dreamed up in the first question? 
• What tools, resources, and methods are you able to use to support that person through a transformation? 
• What is your own story, message, or transformation that sets you and your approach apart from other coaches in the industry? 
• What personal growth have you experienced that will help you help others? 
• What mix of your current skills will help you support your ideal clients in the best way possible?
  

You might not have all of the answers to this question yet because you may still be in the process of becoming a coach. If so, keep the problems of the people you want to help in mind as you pursue training and build your skillset.

ProTip: You don’t have to come up with something brand new that has never been done before. Draw on real experience and know that the clients meant for you will resonate with your message in a way that no one else does.

3. What problems is your ideal client willing to pay to solve?

At Brave Thinking Institute, we believe that our coaches are called to help others transform their lives… 

And we believe that our coaches should be equipped with the practical knowledge and skills to build a thriving business.

In the same way, you also need to consider the profitability of the niche you’re considering.

Typically, people are willing to pay for one of four things: To be, to have, to feel, or to do. The problem(s) that you’re solving for your ideal clients should fall into one (or more) of those categories.

For example, people are likely to be willing to invest in results like:

• Being promoted, being a confident person, or being better at managing conflict  
• Having a better career, having more time freedom, or having an organized home
• Feeling happier, feeling more fulfilled, feeling loved, or feeling free
• Doing something they never thought possible or doing what they were meant to do in life
  

To ensure that the life coaching niche you’re considering is profitable, especially if you’re one of the many new coaches just starting out, be sure that:

Your ideal client (the answer to question #1) has problems or challenges you are qualified to help them solve (the answer to question #2) with solutions that allow them to be, have, feel, or do something they desire (the answer to question #3).

Then, refine, refine, refine!

You might be afraid that being too specific as you choose your life coaching niche will result in less success.

But, refining a stand-out coaching niche helps you get very clear about who you help and how. That clarity helps you connect with more of the right clients, faster and easier!

4 additional success-criteria for all coaching clients

This is my personal ideal client checklist for all new coaching clients. This helps ensure that the clients I invest time and resources into supporting are the best fit for my business.

CRITERIA #1: They are heart-centered

I want to work with people who are heart-centered. That means they care not just about themselves, but they also care about something bigger than themselves.

My ideal clients care about leaving an impact, fulfilling a purpose, and creating something positive.

CRITERIA #2: They have a dream

My ideal life coaching client is a person who has a goal or dream. They have something they want to be, do, have or create that isn’t a part of their current reality.

These people might have a specific dream or just know they want something different for their life that they haven’t yet uncovered. Either way, knowing that they want more helps me ensure that their desired outcome is one that my approach can support.

CRITERIA #3: They are willing to be coached

For any coach, an ideal client is one who is willing to be coached.

They want to create different results in their lives, and they recognize that coaching will help them achieve their goals.

I only want to work with people who are growth-seeking individuals. These people are more likely to follow the guidance of a qualified mentor who genuinely cares about their success and happiness.

CRITERIA #4: They are willing to invest in themselves

Occasionally, you’ll meet potential clients who are interested in coaching, but don’t see the value in investing in themselves.

They are content to merely dream about a better life, rather than invest in making it happen for themselves.

An ideal client is someone who is willing to invest in themselves by investing in a program with me.

No Matter What Type of Coaching You Do, the Key to Success is Clarity

Finding your niche is just the beginning! Clarity in your life coaching business, from who you serve and how to your marketing strategy and content, will help ensure your continued success.

For more clarity on how to start or grow a successful life coaching business that makes a profound and lasting difference in the lives of others, click here to download the Thriving Coach Checklist.

This step-by-step overview will help you make sure you have everything you need to start and scale a wildly successful coaching business!